Farewell
by SkyNakama27
Summary: "Quack?" She nudged his hand. There was no response, but those eyes groggily opened. However, they didn't look directly at her. "Quack..?" she quacked once more, hoping to get his attention. His eyes traveled toward her, and a faint smile crept on his lips, before he closed his eyes once again. She knew it. He was gone. Forever. One-shot.


_For the short time they were together,_

 _The times they fought,_

 _The moments they cherished..._

 _Who knew it would have vanished..._

 _The laughter,_

 _The anger,_

 _The pain,_

 _The suffering..._

 _All of it would be gone..._

 _And she would be alone._

 _The Knight and Princess were separated,_

 _and nothing could bring back time._

 _..._

 _There was a plague within the town,_

 _Spreading rapidly,_

 _From young to old,_

 _It caught many of the people,_

 _But where was the cure?_

It was finally his turn. His turn, to get the plague that had reached the townspeople. He knew he would eventually have gotten it.

Perhaps he could have written a story where he would be miraculously cured, and cure all the townspeople, but he wouldn't. He didn't want the town to be toyed with, even though they could all be cured. He wouldn't let the town be controlled like when it had with _The Prince and the Raven_. He didn't want to end up like his ancestor, who did it for fun or for pleasure, as well as toying with innocent lives.

He was going to die, unless there was a cure found.

Fakir nearly considered writing a sample to cure everyone once, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. His hands and arms just wouldn't move _no matter what_ he did. The same had happened when he once thought about writing a sample of letting the young duckling become human, thinking she was.. a bit sad, but she had reassured she preferred her life the way it was.

He didn't know how to tell her about the plague. She would become frantic, sad, and then alone. He didn't want her to bear such a suffering, but she wouldn't know the cause of his death, and that would be even harsher. Ahiru would definitely be devastated. Fakir didn't want that, not at all. She didn't deserve to suffer anymore, after losing her chance to stay human, the one thing she had cherished. She lost her friends, and they had forgotten about her.

Ahiru always stayed by his side, even though their first encounters had been arguments. She had helped him, and he had helped her. Fakir almost wondered why she still stayed by his side. He never wanted to admit how much he cared for the young duckling. The former human was always kind, and resolved conflict through speech, rather than a fight.

He was in the beginning stages of the plague, where it was a light fever. It wasn't so bad, as being beside the lake had calmed him, and made him nearly forget the fact he had caught the plague. His heart suddenly ached, and he clutched his shirt, gritting his teeth, letting out a small groan. Fakir dropped to his knees, ignoring the quill and papers that dropped onto the damp grass. Ahiru swam out of the water, her big blue eyes filled with worry.

" _Quack_?"

"I... I'm fine.." he choked out.

" _Quack! Quack!_ " He had a hard time understanding her speech most of the time, but sometimes grasped the idea of what she was trying to say, through her gestures. He watched her extend a wing over to the lake.

"What are you trying to say?" he whispered. Since when was it so hard to speak? Breathe?

" _Water_!" was what he thought he heard. Was he going insane? She couldn't talk.

"Something... with... the water?" she nodded.

"What about it?" She extended her other wing, and tried to 'wash her face.'

He wasn't sure what she meant, but cupped his hands, reaching them into the warm water, and brought it up to his face. It was... refreshing. Did she think the heat was getting to him? Is that why she 'said' that?

" _Quack_?"

"Thank you. I feel better," he lied. He felt himself calm down, but the pain in his heart was still there, but this time less painful. He slowly began to stand up, the pain slowing him down. He proceeded to pick up his quill and papers. Ahiru flapped her wings, trying her best to fly over to his shoulder. He watched her try her hardest.

He only hoped there was a cure, so that she wouldn't have to suffer. He couldn't hide the secret for long...

._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.

"Young man, I'm afraid to say this, but you have at least a month or two left before it fully takes over you.." the doctor whispered.

Fakir had nothing to say. He couldn't say anything. He knew it was coming. It had only been two days since he caught the plague. The doctor seemed to have been watching something, as his gazed was fixed over to the window.

"It seems you have a visitor wanting to come in.." he commented, amused. "Would you like to let this little one in?"

Fakir knew who it was, without having to see, and nodded. The doctor opened the window, and the duckling zoomed in, falling into the bed. He was tired to deal with anything.

"I best take my leave. I have to treat the others," the doctor said, excusing himself, and eventually left.

" _Quack_...?" her tone sounded broken and worried.

"I'm fine... I just... have a fever..." his eyes became hazy and tired. He didn't want to speak any longer, his energy deteriorating by the second as he spoke. Her blue eyes softened.

" _Quack_." _I understand_.

He smiled faintly, slowly extending his hand over to the young duckling, and patted her head. Fakir wanted to keep her safe. He didn't want to see her suffer. Ever. He never noticed, but at some point, he seemed to have fallen asleep.

 _When the fog had cleared..._

 _There she lay,_

 _Her fragile body, in the form of a duckling,_

 _Filled with bruises and scratches..._

 _Yet, she had smiled at him.._

 _He couldn't even protect her,_

 _When she had stopped him and the ghost.._

 _In a battle deemed unnecessary..._

Fakir knew he was weak. This was a memory he despised, as it reminded him of how weak he really was. When he had seen the fragile duckling look into his eyes, something in him had weakened. Salty tears had then fell, and seemed as if they wouldn't stop.

 _He couldn't protect her._

It had made him stare wide-eyed, realizing his stupidity and immaturity. It made him realize how much he really cared for her. It also made him realize he needed to get himself together, and to stop wasting his time. He wiped the tears off his face, ready to race reality.

Fakir gently brought the duckling to his chest, grabbing her pendant, and headed to his home. Whatever was to happen, he would make sure she wouldn't get hurt any longer, for he would do all he could to at least protect her.

She may have been sneaky as a duck, clumsy as a girl, and graceful as the princess, but Fakir knew she was one person, and one he vowed to protect.

When Fakir had bandaged her injured wing at his home, her peaceful face remained. His eyes couldn't stop watching her, afraid Kraehe would be sneaking an attack to rid of her once and for all. She was so vulnerable at this point, and could be easily harmed. He clenched his fist. No. He would make sure she would fully heal before anything.

When she had awoken ( surprisingly meeting his _wonderful_ ancestor ) he was surprised. She told him enough information he needed to know. With Mytho's heart shards and the story proceeding to finish.

.

.

.

His eyes shot awake. It was a dream, or a memory? It didn't bother him. His eyes darted over to Ahiru, sleeping peacefully beside his hand. Fakir smiled gently.

He took the quill and papers, and began to write. Fakir wrote whatever had come to him. If he couldn't write a story of a cure, or for the possibility for Ahiru to be human ( as much as the duckling protested she was content with her life ) once more, then he would write whatever his heart would let him.

It hadn't occurred to him when, but she had awakened, and crept onto his shoulder, curious in his writing.

" _Quack quack_?" _What are you writing?_

"It's rude to go into people's business," he said, closing his eyes.

" _Quack_!" she retorted.

Fakir chuckled, then opened his eyes. Ahiru then blinked in confusion. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. She knew that. Her eyes softened. They had a hint of worry in them.

" _Quack.. quack.. quack_.." It sounded sad, broken, afraid... He didn't know what she was saying.

Fakir's condition slowly worsened, day by day. It had been at least six weeks, before it was hard to take walks toward the lake. A part of himself didn't—couldn't—accept this. He wasn't about to prove how weak he was...

 _He wasn't going to die, and let her suffer... He just couldn't. He knew she wouldn't be able to bear with it... Because that was the type of person she was..._

He knew Ahiru was getting worried. She looked as if she wanted to help, but her tiny body didn't seem to let her do what she tried to do. Fakir knew she tried to help.

He suddenly widened his eyes. He coughed out blood. Fakir knew his time was almost up. Should he try writing? Maybe he should. He leaned on the wall, his muscles aching. He almost felt like he was suffocating, but he tried to fight it off, and just reach his room at least.

The moment he was finally near his bed, he collapsed into a peaceful slumber.

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._

Ahiru was not an idiot. She knew clearly something was wrong with Fakir for the past month. When she saw him collapse onto his bed, she knew something was definitely wrong. Her blue eyes narrowed in alert.

She figured she should look around his home, if there was possibly any clue for his... change. Ahiru wished for just a few moments to be human, as it would have been _much_ easier to look around, but she still looked. Her eyes crept over to the sink. She felt she might have a clue. She flapped her wings, hoping she would be able to fly. She knew how, but it was kind of hard.

A moment after she gave up and resumed to climbing and jumping. It took her a while, before reaching the sink. She tilted her head down, and her eyes widened in horror.

There was blood.

Ahiru nearly shouted, but clamped her beak shut, not wanting to wake him up. She was worried. Did he get sick? Is that it? Her worry turned to fear. Her mind was racing. She didn't know what to do. Sometimes he couldn't understand her. She nearly trembled. What could she do? She was once a human, once a character in a former story... A character meant to be a princess who would turn to a speck of light after confession. Her role was suppose to be short.

Her foot slipped, and she fell from the sink, to the hard floor.

" _QUA_ -" she clamped her beak shut before finishing.

She quickly got up, and tried running away, but she met his eyes. The eyes that signaled he was either annoyed or on alert. She stopped running. Ahiru looked at Fakir, mustering up her courage.

"What happened?" He rasped. "Did you trip or fall again?" he made it sound so humiliating to her.

" _Quack quack quack quack qua_ -" _For your information I was looking out for your well be_ -

"Stop rambling, it's giving me a headache," she winced. He knew he said it to tease her, but she knew a part of it was true. He was obviously sick. He looked paler than before, now that she had seen him.

 _I'm so useless.._ She thought. What could a duckling do? She looked downward dejectedly, and jumped over to the window.

"Ahiru?" he asked, a bit surprised. She jerked her head toward him, surprised he called her. It had felt like years since he said her name. Fakir looked as if he were about to speak, but he suddenly had a coughing fit. Ahiru's mind raced, and she jumped over to him.

He looked so sick, and seemed more fragile.. More fragile than her, a tiny duckling. He laid back down, his green eyes staring aimlessly at the ceiling. Her blue eyes watched his every movement, seeing if he were to suddenly cringe or wince or anything. Fakir turned over to her.

"It's rude to stare at people," he said. "What's gotten with you?"

She pouted and scowled.

" _QUACK QUACK QUA_ -"

"Okay okay whatever that is at least don't make me deaf," he said, covering his ears with his hands.

Ahiru looked at him. They were nearly fighting like old times. She wanted to tell him she was glad he was by her side. She didn't know how.

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._

Fakir realized why he was hesitant to write a sample for Ahiru to be human or for there to be a cure. He was simply afraid. Afraid he would end up like his ancestor. It wouldn't matter to him, because he was already too weak to write.

It had been at least three months, and now he was vulnerable to anything. He could die any second. Ahiru knew he was sick, but knew she only thought of it as a fever. He wasn't going to tell her.

" _Quack_..." she called his name, or so he hoped. He turned his head over to her, his vision blurred.

"You have something you want to say, don't you...?" he rasped. It became difficult to speak. It took at least half his energy before it would weaken him. Fakir wasn't particularly ready to die. He didn't want to see her saddened expression. He wasn't ready to leave this world. Ahiru looked at him.

" _Quack.._?" Her tone sounded so broken.

He wasn't ready.

.

.

.

" _Quack_?" _Fakir_?

His eyes looked clouded, and he closed them.

" _Quack_?" she nudged his pale hand, hoping to get his attention by annoying him. " _Quack_?"

Fakir opened his now teary eyes, a faint smile making way onto his face. Ahiru looked at him pleadingly. _Fakir.. Please answer.. I've been wanting to tell you something, even though you won't know it.._ Fakir's smile never wavered, as a single tear fell down his face.

"Thank you," he mouthed, before closing his eyes.

Ahiru was shocked as his softness. Fakir was never this soft. There was another meaning to his words. He mouthed something else, but she didn't understand it. It took her time to think before realization.

He was gone. _Forever_.

She trembled. He was gone. Fakir was gone. Ahiru's mind traced back to when he said he would stay by her side forever. Her eyes became teary. She couldn't hold it in, and let out her tears. The young duckling cared deeply for the teen, who had stayed with her, even as a duckling. She never admitted it. She wanted to. Now it was too late. Either way he wouldn't have gotten the message. A doctor had come into his room.

"Fakir, I have good news!" the doctor's eyes dimmed, seeing her, and Fakir, eyes closed. "I was too late, wasn't I?" she was surprised. He was talking to her? "I'm sorry, little one."

She didn't hear his apology, as she fell asleep.

.

It had been at least a week, and she found out he had caught the plague that was now gone, as a cure had been found. Ahiru wondered if he wrote a story about it, but she didn't know for sure. She knew she wouldn't know.

She was going to be _alone_. She was one before, but 'as a character in the controlled town's story,' she had become accustomed to company, and then the company with Fakir. She saw how Karon was devastated when he had heard the news. _Of course he feels that way.. He was like a father to him._

Ahiru knew she shouldn't be like this, and knew if he were still here he would have been scolding her. She knew it well. A part of her had moved on, but she knew he would still be in her memory. She found herself swimming in the area where he would usually have written his stories. Ahiru didn't know what would happen next, but she knew she would have to do it with courage. At least, that's what she learned from him, to take the risk and do it.

 _For the short time they were together,_

 _The times they fought,_

 _The moments they cherished..._

 _It was all gone..._

 _The laughter,_

 _The anger,_

 _The pain,_

 _The suffering..._

 _All of it was gone..._

 _And she would be alone._

 _The Knight and Princess were separated,_

 _and nothing could bring back time._

 _The Knight was gone,_

 _but sometimes the Princess believed he was behind her sometimes,_

 _sensing his presence..._

 _Perhaps the Knight was still protecting her,_

 _and staying by her side._


End file.
